Preface

In recent years, great advancements have occurred in breast imaging that can be attributed to the marked technological improvements in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the breast and to an increase in its usefulness in the evaluation and management of breast disease.

The first part of this publication focuses on the clinical indications and usefulness of breast MR imaging. One of the first articles reviews the BI-RADS Breast MRI lexicon and illustrates various MR imaging descriptors. The content also provides an update on screening of high-risk patients with breast MR and offers valuable information on the management of probably benign lesions identified on breast MR imaging. In addition, the role of MR imaging in the evaluation of specific pathologic entities, such as invasive lobular carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ, is discussed. The role of breast MR imaging in the management of patients with breast cancer when evaluating extent of disease and in the management of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy is discussed in other articles in this series. The use of breast MR imaging as a problem-solving tool when evaluating selected equivocal clinical and imaging findings is also discussed.

The publication provides valuable information and useful guidelines for the implementation of a breast MR imaging program. Clinical indications and the technique of MR interventional procedures and optimization of MR imaging at the 1.5 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla magnets are also discussed. The content concludes with an interesting article on the current uses of MR imaging of the breast from a breast surgeon's perspective, warning of its potential for over use.

We would like to thank the contributors to this issue who were asked to share their known expertise on MR imaging of the breast. It is hoped that these articles provide a balanced understanding of how to better use MR imaging for the evaluation and management of patients with breast carcinoma or patients at high risk for the disease.